The present invention relates to growing plants and, more particularly, to a system and method for growing plants in an urban environment.
Currently, too much rainwater infiltrates our sewers because cities are covered with impervious services: in the form of roads, roofs, parking lots, and sidewalks. When there is too much rain in sewers they overflow into nearby water bodies of water, often overflowing raw sewage along with the rain. This pollutes our waters, causing beaches to close and other water recreation suspended until the sewage clears.
Cities experience urban heat effect, where they get hotter and experience more polluted air than in rural areas. Sometimes cities can be 4-8 degrees hotter in the day and 20-30 degrees hotter at night.
Most green roof technology using existing systems on the market (both in tray and loose laid form) let the rain water go down the drain, once it passes through the soil layer. Therefore, the water isn't saved for future passive irrigation opportunities and some of it gets into the sewer system.
As can be seen, there is a need for an improved system and method for growing plants in an urban environment that captures more of the rain, easing the burden on our over-taxed sewer systems.